Felbound
by HazardousConcepts
Summary: Gul'dan has set his plan in motion and a ripple effect has begun to take hold that will threaten all life on Azeroth. It's up to Archmage Khadgar and his new initiate to see that the vile orcs plan isn't brought to fruition. Rated T for violence, blood and possibly some sexual references later on.
1. Initiate

**Authors Note:** Hi guys! Hope you're well. So this is my first fanfic on here so please be gentle!

Before you read any further I just wanted to tell you a bit about this fanfic and what I hope to achieve. Essentially its a story about one of my characters and the Archmage Khadgar. Set at the beginning of the Iron Horde (WoD saga). Now, a few bits an bats aren't actually in the game itself so don't be puzzled if I include things that you think "huh, I don't remember that when I played?" because odds are it doesn't exist! Some of the stuff is purely to enhance story and to fatten out the plot a bit. Also, I'm actually hoping to add some more characters the further into the story I get and I'd love for it to have a bit more of a personal touch for the reader, so depending on how many people want to read then I'll start asking you guys to send me in pictures or details of your own WoW characters to add into the story. Anywho, lets begin shall we?

 **Chapter 1:** Initiation

Manuka wrung his hands together nervously and fixed his gaze on the intricate stone flooring of Stormwind Keep. He'd been waiting years for this day, his initiation into the Kirin Tor had been a long and harrowing one; like the other initiates he'd spent his time poring over tomes and scrolls, meditating on the knowledge his superiors provided him with and cultivating his magic as one would to a delicate sapling. Now it was time to be delegated to an Archmage who he would work along side to aid in the war efforts against the Iron Horde. Manuka's leg shook anxiously, he'd waited so long for this, to prove himself to the man or woman who would become his mentor, but he felt it had come too soon.

The Iron Horde had seemingly sprouted from no where like an unwanted weed. And much like a weed, the new enemy was wrapping its roots around Draenor itself, choking the life out of the land and threatening to invade Azeroth. It was this reason that all initiates of the Kirin Tor has been called to arms, some of them still years premature of graduation who could barely summon a sweet-roll.

Manuka however was at least somewhat prepared. He'd mastered most of the basic spells such as blinking, creating mirror entities and conjuring food; but battle magics were a whole different kettle of fish. He had never been especially good with combat spells and the incantations needed to spark them were still incredibly foreign on his tongue, seeing as he had been called to the Keep to assist in the Iron Horde menace it became increasingly aware to the young Mage that he needed as much practice as time would allow him before they arrived in Draenor. The odds were not in his favor.

Manukas ears picked up the unmistakable creaking of the large wooden door in front of him and his head snapped up to meet the gaze of a young Night Elf woman peering back at him through the open door, she smiled warmly and gestured to the Mage sitting on the bench on the opposite side of the wall.

"You're the initiate we've been sent, yes?"  
Her voice was as pleasant to Manukas ears as her appearance was to his eyes, he returned the smile in kind and stood up to greet her properly,

"Yes, yes I am. My name is Benjamin Manuka, but Manuka is just fine, It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm looking forward to learning all I can from you to help tackle the Iron Horde."

The young mages voice sounded wooden, almost as if he were reading from a script, the Night Elf raised an eyebrow

"learning from _me?_ , haha I'm afraid I don't have much to teach you!"

Manuka cocked his head in confusion "...you're my new mentor are you not? Every initiate has been paired up with councilors or Archmages of the order-" he gestured to himself "-so here I am"

The Night Elf stood silently for a moment before giggling, her cheeks taking on a pink hue to add to her already dusky skin. Noticing that the young man was looking more perplexed she regained composure and smiled brightly.

"Manuka, I am not your mentor! Nor will I be accompanying you on your journey to Draenor." She stepped to the side of the door and swung it open quickly "He's waiting for you."

Manuka stepped forward towards the now open door, there was a beautiful stained glass window in the center room depicting the many triumphs of King Llane and Varian, it drowned the walls in a flurry of multicoloured light that impaired Manuka's vision if only for a moment, the young man blinked away the fuzz of the disorientating colours of the window and came to focus on a figure standing in front of the window. A figure who caused the initiate's jaw to hang open in sheer awe.

"Archmage...Khadgar?"


	2. Archmage

Chapter 2

Archmage

Manuka stared in a mixture of stunned silence and complete awe, meer meters away from him stood one of the Kirin Tors most powerful mages and arguably the largest asset to the defence of Azeroth itself, Archmage Khadgar.

The master wizard had just finished rifling through what looked like various scouting reports when his icy blue eyes came to rest directly upon the young Mage.

The younger man swallowed hard in an attempt to regain his composure, Manuka could feel the magic energy flowing around the Archmage and it was as vast as the Oceans, for a moment he wasn't entirely sure that he could stay conscious as his legs shuddered dangerously beneath him, it felt as though Manukas entire being was been enveloped and suffocated in Khadgars raw magic; and the older man was doing nothing but simply standing there! This man was beyond extraordinary and the young Mage found it extremely hard to believe that his assigned Mentor was actually human and not some arcane spirit.

Khadgar studied his initiate with a somewhat blank expression, the youngster didn't look any older than his mid twenties, he had a small, fragile looking frame, jade green eyes stared wide back at him, somewhat masked by tousled blonde hair and a thin scar that ran from the top of the boys head, down his left eye and finished just after his cheekbone. The Archmages eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he honed in on the young mans magic, seeing beyond sight and studied the wavering purply-blue tendrils of magical energy that weakly radiated off of the younger Mage.

His Aura was a better sight than _some_ of the initiates magical signatures that he'd seen in passing, but not the best by a long shot. This boy would still need much training before he could be of any use to the War effort other than bait or cannon fodder. Khadgars jaw tensed at the thought of so many young and inexperienced mages being called forth to defend Azeroth in her desperate hour. He knew what horrors would be awaiting them, he knew that over a third of the initiated would be dead within the first three days on Draenor. And Grommash Hellscream did not take prisoners of war.

After a few agonising moments of silence the Archmage took a step forward and offered a gloved hand out to his young colleague,

"well met, Initiate"

Manuka glanced down at his new mentors hand before offering his own for a handshake, this was incredible, he was to help Khadgar? _The_ Khadgar, in the efforts of the Iron Horde assault. The young Mage could barely comprehend his luck, he'd heard tales of the valiant warrior-Mage who fought along side Alliance and Horde alike, who's magic was so fine tuned, so _powerful_ that he had even surpassed the great guardian, Medivh. But, despite living the life of a Kirin Tor, he had never actually _met_ Khadgar up until now. To the young initiates, the Archmage was very much like the Kirin Tor equivalent of a unicorn or the tooth fairy, they were _told_ he was real but never _saw_ him to back the notion up, the majority of the running of the Kirin Tor was left to the echoes of Archmage Antonidas and others of similar status. The truth was that Manuka had idolized Khadgar for as long as he could remember, like all other initiates he had been plucked from his family from a young age when he was found to possess magic talent. He had read all of the tomes the Archmage had written, even if they were too complex for him to fathom, he had even attempted to cast one of Khadgars most famous spells, the Frost Nova, which had gone horrifically wrong and had almost cost him his life.

The Archmages grip on the young wards hand loosened as his crystalline gaze fell to the Kaldorei woman who had previously shown Manuka into the room,

"thank you again for your help, Ellande, it has been most appreciated." his voice was low but pleasant as it rumbled against the young wizards chest; the Night Elf smiled warmly and bowed her head  
"think nothing of it, Archmage, it is always a pleasure to have you among us at the keep."

Her glowing eyes settled on Manuka, her smile remaining firm upon her cheeks.

"Ready to depart?"


	3. Draenor

Chapter 3

Draenor

Manukas breath hitched in his throat as he stumbled behind the Archmages longer and urgent strides, he had known that they would be departing for Draenor within a small space of time but had no idea it would literally be straight after introductions. The young Mage hadn't even packed anything!

Eventually the three made their way into the throne room of Stormwind Keep, it would be here that they would depart for Draenor.

Manukas jade green eyes widened in awe, the throne room was truly a sight to behold; Trophies adorned every stone wall, wooden beams and pillars hung above them to support the keeps immense mass and the blue and gold banners of the Stormwind Lion drifted ever so slightly in the draft caused by the open windows.

The young Mage watched as his mentor and Kaldorei helper made their way to the front of the room, and mimicked them as they bowed graciously at the figure sat upon the enormous throne before them. _King Varian Wrynn_.

The king was a formidable man and a hardened warrior who had ruled the Alliance and northern kingdoms with an iron fist for many years, he was loved by his people and respected by his peers. There was no creature alive that did not know his name, and yet despite being known as a stern yet fair ruler the young mage couldn't help but freeze in place slightly. Ragged scars ran across the Kings face, his eyes pierced sharper than the most finely crafted spears. This was a man to be feared just as much as he was to be respected.

"Welcome, friends."

Manukas attention turned once again to the Archmage who was greeted warmly by the king. Khadgar had been a trusted ally to the Alliance his entire life, not to mention Variens best friend and advisor. That being said, the way they addressed one another was nothing short of professional.

"We're counting on you to get to the bottom of this..." The kings voice rumbled like thunder, the echo of the Throne room only amplifying the bass of his voice,

"...If you cannot discover who or what is behind this Iron Horde invasion then we are all lost."

Khadgars crystal blue eyes narrowed, his gaze firmly fixed on his king "The Iron Horde will _not_ succeed, my king. This I can assure you. We _will_ get to the bottom of this."

Varien nodded and stood up away from his Throne, his golden armour clinking as he did so. There was nothing more to be said, if they were going to stop the Iron Horde it would have to be _now_.

Khadgar gazed over his shoulder, gesturing his young student to come to his side, the boy, who was no older than 24, scrambled to his side and watched in awe as the master Arcanist dipped into his vast mana pool and summoned a large portal in front of himself. Manuka held his breath, had never been fond of portal travel; in his earlier days studying with the Kirin Tor he had once witnessed a young arcanist decapitate himself going through a portal that closed down half way through the process, his body had been left behind for the other initiates to deal with, as for his head, well who knows where that ended up. Perhaps still floating between worlds in teleportation space?

Giving one final courteous nod to his king and the Kaldorei consort, Khadgar stepped through the portal, his form dissipating into a mass of purple particles as he passed through to the other side. The young Mage swallowed hard and followed suit, squeezing his eyes shut as he too passed through the archmages portal.

Within an instant the air around him changed, thicker and humid, it was a shock to the system. Manukas body heaved violently as he stumbled into the back of the master arcanist. Portal travel was something every young Mage struggled with in the beginning, it warped the body within milliseconds and rebuilt it just as fast in another place, the most common side affect of this was intense nausea and vomiting. It wasn't without cure however, when it came to using any form of magic the general rule of thumb was the more one used it the more adapted the body would become to the spells and this was no different with travel magics such as blinking and portal conjuring.

Khadgar turned to face his young Mage-in-training and sighed, he had to remind himself that he too was once this youngsters age and he had gone through the exact same thing when he travelled through portals at first. Though his mentor, Medivh, was hardly as compassionate about the strain on his body.

"Compose yourself, initiate. We are here." The Archmages tone was perhaps slightly more stern than he wanted it to be as he watched the youngster scramble himself up off of the ground, wiping his mouth free of bile. He stared in awe at what was before him; a tower, reaching up to the heavens stood before them both. Surrounded by what appeared to be enormous mushrooms and fungi. Bizarre creatures flew high above them in the alien purple sky, singing out a warning of the two men's arrival. They weren't alone, all around were men and women of various races busying themselves, preparing armour, studying tomes and patrolling the grounds, all were contributing in their own way to win the war.

Manukas mossy green eyes absorbed the scene in silent wonder for a moment before turning to his teacher, "this is Draenor?"

Khadgar glanced down at his apprentice and smirked,

"Mhm. Welcome to the Zangarra Garrison, initiate, my tower over there will be our new home. Come, lets get unpacked shall we?"

The young arcanist stepped forward sheepishly, further taking in the sights around him, he couldn't believe it, he wasn't on Azeroth anymore, not even remotely close. He really was on an entirely new planet!

Manuka took a deep breath in, steadying himself.

"Draenor...wow.."


	4. Felsong

Chapter 4

Felsong

It seemed that no sooner had the two arrived they were straight to work. Khadgar was immediately met by a Kaldorei female clad in full bladed armour, Manuka knew straight away what she was; _a Warden_. The wardens had been steadfast protectors of Azeroth for centuries. The Kaldorei's unnaturally long lifespan and aversion to most illness and disease made them perfect for the role of judge, jury and executioner, a fact that _all_ wardens prided themselves upon greatly.

"Cordana, I'd like you to meet Manuka."

The Archmage gestured to his young apprentice with a warm smile upon his face,

"I suggest you both get acquainted. Cordana Felsong here will be helping to keep this tower and the surrounding garrison safe from any unwanted guests, and I can think of no one finer for the task!"

Cordana shifted slightly, her glowing green eyes surveying the younger arcanist before turning to Khadgar,

"you flatter me, Archmage-"

her voice was cool and professional, any true emotion she felt was hidden deep within the confines of herself,

"come, night is closing in and I must brief you on what we have uncovered so far."

Cordana turned swiftly and walked towards the entrance of the tower,

Manuka eyed her cautiously and followed his master who now too walked towards the tower.

"Worry not..."

the young arcanists gaze lifted to meet his teacher, who peered back at him with a smirk

"the wardens may seem a little cold. But in their chests beats hearts of a resolve I've never seen broken nor swayed."

Khadgar placed a reassuring hand on Manukas shoulder, giving him a slight shake as he did so; the younger man swayed, though whether it was from his mentor shaking him or the wave of pure mana that passed from the Archmages gloved hand to him was debatable. The raw arcane power that man possessed...Manuka had to wonder _why_ Khadgar even needed guards in the tower.

The debriefing was a long and tedious one. Cordana, Manuka and Khadgar all sat around a large table overflowing with various parchments and scrolls full of the knowledge that the ally spies had gathered up. The young arcanist had never seen anything like it and most of the intel he didn't understand, so instead he settled for listening and atleast trying to come to grips with what was going on.

"We have reason to believe that Gul'Dan is behind the Iron Hordes advances throughout _this_ Draenor. It would seem he has more influence here than we first thought..."

Cordana pointed at a particular piece of parchment that had been carried back to the Garrison via one of Khadgars ravens in great haste.

The Archmages crystalline eyes narrowed as he read through the report, his fingers tightening around the letter and threatening to tear the delicate material,

"This comes as no surprise."

Khadgars voice was dangerously low as he backed away from the table and began pacing around the room, his mentee watching him closely,

"that twisted monster has strived for the destruction of Azeroth for many years, across

 _multiple_ timelines! The fact that he is here _somewhere_ shows just how dire the situation on Draenor really is. I _must_ find him!"

Khadgar had barely finished speaking when Cordanas fist slammed down onto the table causing Manuka to jump.

"Out of the question! As your bodyguard it is my sworn duty to see that no harm comes to you. I cannot allow you to go on some wild goose chase!"

The Archmage frowned,

"A wild goose chase? You would have me do _nothing_ , Cordana? I won't sit idly by and watch that fel-twisted _monster_ to corrupt this land or Azeroth any further than he has done already!"

"Excuse me?"

Both the warden and master arcanist turned from one another to face Manuka, the young Mage was propping himself up on the table, idly fingering through the pages of some tomes. "Who is Gul'Dan...?"

The young Mages voice was laced with puzzling concern, "and what do you mean by _this_ draenor? Forgive me, but I'm extremely confused, I know practically _nothing_ of why I'm here."

Cordana almost prowled up to the young man, her face completely unreadable under her signature wardens helm; she stared at him for a moment,

"if you do not know why you are here then you are of no use to us."

her voice was cold and hard like glacial ice, maintaining eye contact with Manuka a few seconds longer before leaving the room and vanishing into nothingness.

Khadgar sighed and ran his hand through his silver hair,

"pay her no mind. Cordana is...passionate, about the cause we fight for. Come, let us rest for the night, tomorrow I will brief you myself."

A grin flashed across the Archmages face,

"Let's prove her wrong about you, hm?"


	5. Apexis

Chapter 5

Apexis Crystals

In the days the followed Manuka had learned all about why they were in Draenor. He had known of course, that the Iron Legion was invading, that was what everyone in the Kirin Tor knew. Everything else that followed however was something entirely different.

Khadgar had told him about Gul'Dan, a powerful warlock and user of a dark power known as fel, who had been killed in an alternate timeline and destroyed the orc nations, corrupting them through the fel magic to create a race permanently tainted with the stink of the green hell magic. he had very nearly killed Khadgar in the struggle for the Tomb of Sargeras but the Archmage had prevailed, putting a stop to the orc once and for all. In _this_ timeline however, Gul'Dan was alive and well. Whether he was going to try attempt to repeat history in the parallel timeline was unknown, but he had to be stopped regardless.

It was up to Manuka and Khadgar to find Gul'Dan and put a stop to him once and for all.

The younger Mage studied his mentor curiously, the master Arcanist was somewhat slumped back in his chair and was levitating a small purple crystal in front of him. Khadgars icy blue eyes were glazed over in deep thought as he 'hmm'd' to himself, Manuka cleared his throat and leaned forward slightly,

"Uh, master? Is something on your mind?"

The Archmages eyes didn't leave the floating stone,

"do you know what this is, boy?"

Manuka took a moment to think briefly before answering,

"No, Archmage, what is it? Is it of importance?"

The purple rock glinted in the light before being plucked out of the air by Khadgar, his boot tapping the stone floor impatiently,

"they're called Apexis Crystals and as for their importance, yes I believe they could be extremely useful to me..."

The younger Mage sat forward in his seat, the leader of the Kirin Tor sounded like he had a plan brewing and he was excited to hear it.

"I can feel that the mana signature of this little stone is dormant but strong, if we can somehow get ourselves more of them I believe their magical capabilities will amplify exponentially to a point where I can use their awakened power to track other magical energies"

Manukas eyes widened slightly, he knew exactly what Khadgar was planning,

"You want to hunt down Gul'Dan using those!? How many will we even _need_? I mean, it's not like he'll be just sat waiting for us to find him, he'll be hidden!"

A faint blue light flashed from the Archmages eyes as he conjured up a plate of toast and various pots of jam, it was obvious the older man was oblivious to his apprentices worry.

"Four thousand, nine hundred and sixty eight"

Manuka paused half way from reaching for a piece of the conjured food,

"what?"

Khadgar slouched back in his chair and wiped the remains of his breakfast away from the silver stubble on his chin,

"you asked how many apexis crystals we needed. We need four thousand nine hundred and sixty eight. Trust me, I've done the math."

The young Mage was absolutely dumbfounded, from what he gathered these little crystals were not easy to find, gathering a hundred would be no easy feat let alone a few thousand; yet the Master Arcanist seemed so... _relaxed_. This was something Manuka had noticed from the beginning of them meeting, even more so after Cordana chastised the Archmage for his laid back attitude a day after they had both arrived in Draenor. Two worlds were on the brink of destruction and Khadgar couldn't have looked more content. _Although_ , Manuka thought, ' _the briefing concerning Gul'Dan seemed to get heated with Cordana, so it's obvious he cares much more than he lets on...perhaps he just doesn't want us to worry?.'_

Manukas train of thought was broken as the Guardian stood up and stretched, the Archmage took one final look at the little crystal in his hand before slipping it into his pocket and flashing his initiate a reassuring smile,

"Have faith! Cordana and her helpers will see to it that we get what we need."


End file.
